It was nearly two decades ago when Rich Rodriguez last left Morgantown. Back then, he was the golden-boy coach who bolted for Michigan. But now, he’s home again. Older, wiser, and itching to prove that his second stint at West Virginia is about more than nostalgia. “I know where the bodies are buried and the traps are laid and kind of understand the environment,” he said during Big 12 media days. “But then again, times have changed.” A roster overhaul means this Mountaineers team probably isn’t winning a Big 12 title tomorrow. But the HC isn’t panicking. 

The new episode on Gold and Blue Nation on August 24 gave fans a sneak peek into Rich Rodriguez’s mindset ahead of the home opener. He stressed that position battles are wide open and everyone’s on notice. “I do want to play a lot of people cause we’re gonna need a lot of guys through the course of the season and we have a lot of guys that really haven’t separated themselves like from being a one or a two,” he said. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe they’ve all elevated and that’s a good thing.” But he isn’t satisfied.

Rich Rodriguez’s honesty is brutal. He likes the team but he’s not pleased with the depth. “I like my team, I just don’t feel better about where we’re at. We’ve got time,” he said. The chemistry between him and defensive coordinator Zac Alley, though, is undeniable. Their history reads like a highlight reel of young coaching prodigies first at Louisiana-Monroe, then Jacksonville, and now back together for the Mountaineers. Alley, once the youngest defensive coordinator in FBS history, seems to thrive off the HC’s high-energy chaos. “I’m running all over the place, screaming, yelling, doing everything,” he said. “And I think that similar coaching styles probably matches up.”

Among the returning players, RB Jahiem White is the heartbeat of the offense, poised to explode behind a beefed-up line in Rich Rodriguez’s run-first system. The QB decision remains under wraps until the season opener against Robert Morris, with Nicco Marchiol, Jaylen Henderson, and Max Brown all in contention. Wide receivers are another story with no returning player having more than 300 yards last season, so the receiving corps is a blank slate for the HC’s creative offense. But as the roster battles heat up and starters remain uncertain, he has made one thing crystal clear to his coaching staff.

Rich Rodriguez’s command to his coaching staff

Rich Rodriguez’s mantra this season is simplicity. He wants his staff to strip the game down to its core fundamentals and stop overloading players with too much information. “We cannot overcomplicate our players’ minds,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure they can play the best without thinking too much.” In a season of turnover and unknowns, the HC knows clarity beats creativity every time. Players who understand their assignments execute better than those trying to memorize 15 new wrinkles every week.

Execution is king in Rodriguez’s system. He stressed that offense, defense, and special teams all have their nuances. But the key is ensuring players can trust themselves on the field. Mistakes often come not from talent gaps but from confusion, and the HC isn’t about to let West Virginia beat itself. “And that’s really part of our command. And part of my command to the staff, leading up to the first game is lets not have West Virginia beat West Virginia. Let’s make sure our guys know what the heck they’re doing,” he added, his tone bordering on warning and pep talk simultaneously. It’s a coaching philosophy built on accountability, where preparation and focus dictate success more than raw athleticism alone.

The message to the staff is not to overthink it. Keep drills sharp, keep assignments clear, and don’t let schematics become a distraction. If the Mountaineers can master that, Rich Rodriguez believes they’ll be ready to handle anything the Big 12 throws their way.